Published 12:38 IST, October 12th 2019
Ind vs SA: VVS Laxman lauds Virat Kohli's gameplan execution
Ind vs SA: Former India batsman VVS Laxman heaped praises on the Indian skipper after he smashed a career-high 254* to take India to 601 in the Pune Test.
Former India batsman VVS Laxman has heaped praises on skipper Virat Kohli after he smashed a career-high unbeaten 254 to on Day 2 of the second Test match against South Africa in Pune on Friday. India declared their innings at 601 for 5 riding on the back of Kohli's record seventh double century before the bowlers decimated the South African top order, leaving them reeling at 36 for 3 at Stumps on Day 2.
Laxman praises Kohli's
On a show exclusively aired by a leading Indian broadcaster, Laxman said that at this stage of Kohli's career, his battle against his own thought process becomes more crucial than against the bowler. The 44-year-old also praised Kohli's ability to find gaps in the field on a consistent basis. He added that this is possible due to his precise footwork and a balanced stance. Laxman believes that it is Kohli's eyesight and concentration that makes him a difficult batsman to dismiss and puts additional pressure on the opposition captain and bowlers from time to time.
First Indian captain to slam 40 tons
Indian captain Virat Kohli smashed the 26th century of his Test career in the game. As a result, he became the first Indian to score 40 of them as captain. He is now second in the list of all-time greats who have scored the most number of tons as captain. The list is topped by former Australian captain Ricky Ponting, who had scored 41 international hundreds (ODIs and Tests combined) for his country from 2002-2011.
Kohli, the most celebrated Indian Test captain
Virat Kohli also became the most successful Indian Test captain ever with a win in the recently concluded series against West Indies. He went past former skipper MS Dhoni's record of 28 Test wins. In the ongoing second Test match in Pune, Kohli became only the second Indian captain after Dhoni to lead the country in 50 Test matches. He is clearly breaking more records for himself and the team which will be hard to break in the future.
Updated 16:04 IST, October 12th 2019